PWInsider-This week's edition of Raw did just a 3.4 cable rating, with a 5 share, which is way down from last week's 3.9. The highest rated segment of the show was the 3.9 that they did for the overrun. The show did hours of 3.3 and 3.6.

Raw did a 3.4 with hours of [3.3, 3.6, 3.9-OR] down from last weeks 3.9 [3.7, 4.1, 4.5-OR]... I don't even know what to say, how can a show build as well as this get the lowest rating in 2004. Does this mean Judgement Day is going to get a great buyrate because obviously a good build and nice set up means nothing.

I've looked around and seen some excuses from the opening match ruined the momentum of the show with the fast run in... I heard Orton/Edge at the 10PM is what did it.

But I'm sorry I have to focus on the main event, it is guys that we all like and are rooting for. But they had a big build, big match, and the number didn't deliver... As someone who's been disappointed and against this storyline ever since Wrestlemania. I felt the angle and character all taken a step backwards since WM & made me disinterested in them. But I just thought I was just in the minority, but I guess not.

This has to effect WWE thoughts of pushing either of these guys as a main event. If they are on the fence I can see them going with a Batista or Flair and I can't blame them. Flair & Batista in tag matches vs. Benoit & Edge (or HBK) kept the ratings strong... But overall just very disappointing, overall it was a quality program and for it to have this happen to it, it must be frustrating for them.

smark/net attack wienerville advisory stays at BLUE alert - Guarded (With Benoit & Eddie being World & WWE champions you'd expect all's be right but couldn't do it due to Trish/Y2J character switches & whats the deal with JBL PPV main event)- 5/6

Originally posted by Net Hack SlasherPWInsider-This week's edition of Raw did just a 3.4 cable rating, with a 5 share, which is way down from last week's 3.9. The highest rated segment of the show was the 3.9 that they did for the overrun. The show did hours of 3.3 and 3.6.

Raw did a 3.4 with hours of [3.3, 3.6, 3.9-OR] down from last weeks 3.9 [3.7, 4.1, 4.5-OR]... I don't even know what to say, how can a show build as well as this get the lowest rating in 2004.

Because May is Sweeps month, and the networks are all running their big storylines now.

There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

"As someone who's been disappointed and against this storyline ever since Wrestlemania. I felt the angle and character all taken a step backwards since WM & made me disinterested in them. But I just thought I was just in the minority, but I guess not."

Yep, I'd certainly say that this entire drop of half a point is entirely because people don't like the Trish heel turn. That'd hold some kinda water if the ratings had dropped when it became apparent that JeriChristian were getting the ME slot, but they went up for the second half of the show so boo on that theory.

I'd peg it as a combo of the two-minute opening match stupidity and the sweeps thing.

Once upon a time in China, some believe, around the year one double-ought three, head priest of the White Lotus Clan, Pai Mei was walking down the road, contemplating whatever it is that a man of Pai Mei's infinite power contemplates - which is another way of saying "who knows" - when a Shaolin monk appeared, traveling in the opposite direction. As the monk and the priest crossed paths, Pai Mei, in a practically unfathomable display of generosity, gave the monk the slightest of nods. The nod was not returned. Now was it the intention of the Shaolin monk to insult Pai Mei or did he just fail to see the generous social gesture? The motives of the monk remain unknown. What is known, are the consequences. The next morning Pai Mei appeared at the Shaolin Temple and demanded of the Temple's head abbot that he offer Pai Mei his neck to repay the insult. The Abbot at first tried to console Pai Mei, only to find Pai Mei was inconsolable. So began the massacre of the Shaolin Temple and all 60 of the monks inside at the fists of the White Lotus. And so began the legend of Pai Mei's five point palm exploding heart technique.

I think dissecting ratings trends over the course of one night gets too subjective to be worth anything. Yeah, there were bone-headed booking moves on Monday but there have been of weeks where they did worse and the ratings didn't suffer at all. It's hard to anticipate trends, but I don't think WWE bases their decisions on quarter-hours. When they decide to push someone they do so, regardless of the shrieking protest from the audience. And if they intend to push Jericho, which I'll believe when I see it, they will.

I know it's sweeps but, was there really anything big on, on Monday? I can't seem to remember. So I don't know how much of an effect sweeps could've had on their rating. It's just sad though that it didn't do higher since the show overall was great.

"my salsa makes all the pretty girls want to dance,and take off their underpants, my salsa,look out for my next single, it's called My Salsa..."

> Raw did a 3.4 with hours of [3.3, 3.6, 3.9-OR]> down from last weeks 3.9 [3.7, 4.1, 4.5-OR]...> I don't even know what to say, how can a show> build as well as this get the lowest rating in 2004.

This show was built around five matches:

1) Trip vs Benjamin

Ended(?) in a schmozz in just a couple of minuteswith "new star" Benjamin disappearing into thinair so the WWE could focus again on Trip vs Shawnwhich is staler than Liz Taylor and Richard Burton.

So if you tuned in to see Shelton Benjamin... *click*

2) Batista vs Tajiri

I don't believe many tuned in to see this. Decent,though why Batista needs to bump for a guy who isgoing nowhere fast is beyond me. Shouldn't thatrub be going to someone they might actually push?

I don't believe anyone tuned in to see this... *click*

3) Edge vs Orton

Thirty seconds of shoving, thirty seconds of sideheadlock, and twenty seconds of staring at eachother. Almost two minutes into the match and theyhadn't done one single move. Then later Orton wentto the chinlocky nonsense from hell for four minutes!

People tuned in to see this and it lost them... *click*

4) Eugene vs whoever

Did Eugene's opponent matter? Not really. This washis debut which made for decent midcard filler at best.

Tune in, tune out. Eugene's going nowhere... *click*

5) Jericho vs Christian

This feud is Luger vs Tatanka 2004 with a bundle ofgradually less heated and inconclusive matches leadingto a cage match blowoff on free TV. Obviously thisdidn't have viewers tuning in late for the main event.Maybe if they hadn't already seen it at Mania, the dayafter Mania... etc.

This feud could fill a comp tape by itself, but no onewould be willing to pay for such a tape... *click*

Thirty seconds of shoving, thirty seconds of sideheadlock, and twenty seconds of staring at eachother. Almost two minutes into the match and theyhadn't done one single move. Then later Orton wentto the chinlocky nonsense from hell for four minutes!

People tuned in to see this and it lost them... *click*

4) Eugene vs whoever

Did Eugene's opponent matter? Not really.

The Edge/Orton match got the most heat of the night (except for Eugene, but thats a diff. phenomenon). The crowd was way into it towards the end - standing on their feet for the last 5 minutes or so. Gee, I hope they never do anything like that again. Orton's IC reign (despite his flaws) is helping to save the IC title from sheer ignominy. Orton is over, the match was over, Edge is kinda over.

Also, given that the show's ratings built from start to finish shows that those who actually did tune in were not exactly dissapointed. That contrasts your theory that they "clicked" the show off after they tenud in initially. Compare the numbers you quoted in your post - they're all off from last week by the same amount.

. . . but yeah, you're right, everything about last night sucked and nobody should ever watch WWE again cause it's all terrible and the company is going out of business and the entire roster sucks and everything sucks and saying that makes me the most smartestest of all and blah blah blah . . .

Lord knows that the internet needs more people who masquerade their cynicism as perceptiveness.

The rating is really a product of people going back to the nets for sweeps. The CBS comedies had their season finales. That crappy show "Las Vegas" had its highest rating of the year on NBC.

Also, given that the second higest rated quarter hour except overrun was 10-10:15, the TV viewers didn't see the slow start to Edge/Orton and for someone reason I don't think a hot crowd and near falls turn off viewers.

OSH, I never said that the rating drop was cause of Trish's turn. Jeeze I actually liked her Mean Girl skit backstage. I think that this storyline has more then ran it's course, hell Y2J defeated BOTH Christian & Trish on a PPV setting, so what more do we need & NO adding an unknown like Tomko isn't enough to add a spark to keep it going. If they added a #1contendership stip into the match then I might can see the value... The overall number in both hours were down evenly from the previous week. -0.5 overall, -0.4 first hour, -0.5 second hour, -0.6 overrun. I don't think it's that silly to say that the long time angle that been hyped as main event for the first time could be somewhat to blame for drop. I like these 3 people, but the storyline is drawn out way too long & they should gone their separate ways much like Boston Idol & Hyabusa also said. If this was Bradshaw we wouldn't be using kid gloves like this.

I could be a real prick and say hey "Imagine how bad it would have been if it Jericho wasn't announced from New York for the match. Or maybe the announcement of Winnipeg the other weeks is what made the ratings drop"... I am of course kidding here because I don't think it makes a difference either way

**May 13, Smackdown Rating Added**

PWinsider-Last night's edition of Smackdown did a 3.1 broadcast rating, with a 5 share, according to Nielsen Media Research. That is up from last week's 2.8. The highest rated quarter-hour of the show was the 3.4 that they did for the last segment.-

Smackdown did a 3.1 with hours of (2.9, 3.3) was better then last weeks 2.8 (2.6, 3.0)... Even though the number is better, it's a bit of a downer that it finished 5th in the network race as it usually beats out Fox but Fox put Cops on during the night and that rating did better then SD. ABC did well too with their Lakers/Spurs game. NBC with Fraiser finale just beat out CBS Survivor/CSI combo for top spot.

(edited by Net Hack Slasher on 15.5.04 0155)smark/net attack wienerville advisory stays at BLUE alert - Guarded (With Benoit & Eddie being World & WWE champions you'd expect all's be right but couldn't do it due to Trish/Y2J character switches & whats the deal with JBL PPV main event)- 5/6

"I don't think it's that silly to say that the long time angle that been hyped as main event for the first time could be somewhat to blame for drop."

Except nobody knew that said cage match was going to be the main event until the show actually began, and when it became clear that it was then the ratings climbed a little. Correlation? Probably not-but it's certainly more likely than people assuming that the match was going to go on last before the show even started and staying away because of it.

Once upon a time in China, some believe, around the year one double-ought three, head priest of the White Lotus Clan, Pai Mei was walking down the road, contemplating whatever it is that a man of Pai Mei's infinite power contemplates - which is another way of saying "who knows" - when a Shaolin monk appeared, traveling in the opposite direction. As the monk and the priest crossed paths, Pai Mei, in a practically unfathomable display of generosity, gave the monk the slightest of nods. The nod was not returned. Now was it the intention of the Shaolin monk to insult Pai Mei or did he just fail to see the generous social gesture? The motives of the monk remain unknown. What is known, are the consequences. The next morning Pai Mei appeared at the Shaolin Temple and demanded of the Temple's head abbot that he offer Pai Mei his neck to repay the insult. The Abbot at first tried to console Pai Mei, only to find Pai Mei was inconsolable. So began the massacre of the Shaolin Temple and all 60 of the monks inside at the fists of the White Lotus. And so began the legend of Pai Mei's five point palm exploding heart technique.

A fair enough theory. My only point is that there's nothing in either way of looking at it that could be used to place the blame on the Jericho/Christian match.

Once upon a time in China, some believe, around the year one double-ought three, head priest of the White Lotus Clan, Pai Mei was walking down the road, contemplating whatever it is that a man of Pai Mei's infinite power contemplates - which is another way of saying "who knows" - when a Shaolin monk appeared, traveling in the opposite direction. As the monk and the priest crossed paths, Pai Mei, in a practically unfathomable display of generosity, gave the monk the slightest of nods. The nod was not returned. Now was it the intention of the Shaolin monk to insult Pai Mei or did he just fail to see the generous social gesture? The motives of the monk remain unknown. What is known, are the consequences. The next morning Pai Mei appeared at the Shaolin Temple and demanded of the Temple's head abbot that he offer Pai Mei his neck to repay the insult. The Abbot at first tried to console Pai Mei, only to find Pai Mei was inconsolable. So began the massacre of the Shaolin Temple and all 60 of the monks inside at the fists of the White Lotus. And so began the legend of Pai Mei's five point palm exploding heart technique.